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Though on the face of it Makhdoom Javid Hashmi’s decision to break over two decades relations with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) seemed as emotions-driven, but those who know about the edgy relationsof Hashmi with Mian brothers saw the decision as well calculated and well thought out.

Though the triggering point of his breakup with the party was stated to be the refusal of party ticket for his son-in-law on the National Assembly seat vacated by Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi(NA-148) but the checkered history of relations between Makhdoom Javid Hashmi and Mian brothers date back to year 2001 when Mian Nawaz Sharif along with his family members and servants went into exile to Saudi Arabia under some clandestine deal with the then Military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Makhdoom Javid Hashmi was not happy with the decision of Mian brothers and he wanted them to stay back in the country instead of going into exile to confront the dictator and to struggle for the restoration of the democratic order.

The defiant Hashmi was put behind the bars on charges of distributing pamphlets against Pakistan Army among the Parliamentarians.

After remaining behind the bars for defying the military dictator when Makhdoom Javid Hashmi was released some of his own party leaders who were afraid of his growing popularity succeeded in sowing the seed of mistrust against him in the hearts of Mian brothers by dubbing him as a man who was playing as linchpin for Establishment to highjack the party.

In the follow up events Mian brothers attempted to cut the towering political stature of Makhdoom Javid Hashmi and it was in the backdrop of that desire that Makhdoom Javid Hashmi was fielded to contest 2008 general elections on four National Assembly seats.Mian Nawaz Sharif deliberately avoided to come to any of these four constituencies but Makhdoom Javid Hashmi won three out of four seats further enhancing his political image.

Later, at the time of vacation of two seats Hashmi again took his independent decision in defiance to Mian Nawaz Sharif’s dictates who wanted him to retain the Rawalpindi city seat from where he had defeated Sh. Rashid Ahmad.

As the time passed on each passing event right from his refusal of Hashmi to join Federal Cabinet and to take oath from the then President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, drifted him away from the party and its leadership.

It is also true that there was no serious effort on part of either side to weed out the plant sprouted from the seed of mistrust and let it grow into a big tree over the period and finally resulted into the break up of decades old relations, ostensibly, to the disadvantage of both. But here too, the responsibility to keep Makhdoom Javid Hashmi in the party mainly rests with Mian Nawaz Sharif who has deliberately let him go.

Right from the controversy of sidetracking of Mian brothers from extending support to Makhdoom Javid Hashmi after fielding him on four National Assembly seats to depriving him the slot of Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly and later keeping him out of the key decision-making core committee of the party, Makhdoom Javid Hashmi was virtually made a political pariah, so providing him little choice but to move out with honour and dignity, which he finally did.

Although the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had downplayed his quitting of the party but political observers and analysts are terming it a major blow to the party and anticipate more aftershocks in days to come as many other party leaders who are not happy with the demeanour of the party leadership with them could follow the suit.

Political observers were of the view that instead of downplaying the departure of Makhdoom Javid Hashmi from the party, which would no doubt be a big blow to the party particularly in southern Punjab, party leadership should sit together and review the follies on its part, which has forced the Makhdoom, who has earned the titles of ‘brave man’ and ‘rebel’ by his unflinching and resilient stand against dictatorship, to bow out from the party to which he had given his prime.

The unceremonious and abrupt exit of Makhdoom Javid Hashmi from the party and the way he was mocked by his own party leaders is also abhor-able, as the man of his (Hashmi) stature at least demand decency on part of his former colleagues with whom he had spent many a years in thick and thin.

It is high time for Mian Sahib for soul searching and to look into the reasons behind the departure of veteran like Makhdoom Javid Hashmi from the party, and must hold the long tongues of his brainless party leaders like Capt. Safdar and Rana Sanaullah who are leveling wild and below dignity allegations on the person of Makhdoom Javid Hashmi, whose impeccable political career is crystal clear to all.

The speed with which Imran Khan hovered over the political horizon of the country after his Minar-I-Pakistan rally and has established his party as one of the major stakeholders in national politics, almost with the same or even more speed the problems and hurdles started coming in his way putting the ‘cricket king’ in real test as this time he is confronted with a different ballgame.

As expected, after the success of his Lahore rally, which has baffled all and sundry, there is rush of both genuine and power hungry people ready to board the bandwagon of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf, which they consider would surely land them in power.

On the other hand tired with the marathon struggle, stretched over almost one and a half decade, Imran Khan is desperate to cash on this opportunity as millions of people are rallying round, but in the process he has completely forgotten that the people, especially youth, are pinning great hope, a hope of establishment of such a society based on socio-political and economic justice which would turn their woes into happiness.

Imran Khan is living with an illusion that his party is not having elect-able candidates and to fill this gap he is inducting people with bad reputation and opportunists who move with the changing winds and would turn into a bad baggage for him instead of giving him and his party some benefit.

These new entrants in the party commonly dubbed as ‘paratroopers’ because of their tricks and cleverness were slicing good bargain with Imran Khan, still naïve to the dynamics of the national politics, pushing back the ideological workers of the party who stood the test of the time and some of them had even left the party in desperation and dejection.

A party leader who is not happy over the decision of Imran Khan to take into party fold corrupt and tainted politicians in the name of elect-able said that with the induction of Sardar Ghulam Abbass, a PPP leader from Chakwal who had served as District Nazim under the wings of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, would not go well with the ideological party workers who stood by Imran Khan in the thick and thin for past well over 15 years. Now Sardar Ghulam Abbass is almost all in all vis-à-vis the electoral arrangements in District Chakwal is concerned.

The decision of replacing Umar Chima with Shafqat Mahmood as Central Secretary Information of the party has also not gone well with the ideological party workers and they questioned that may be as professional Shafqat Mahmood could tackle media better than Umar Chima but where the loyalty and commitment of Umar Chima with party stand.

The same is the case with Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who no doubt is having a very strong clout in southern Punjab and in some part of Sindh, but this did not mean that he should be given free hand in dealing with some 25 National Assembly constituencies covering southern Punjab and parts of Sindh and the party workers are rightly pointing out that where the genuine party workers and leaders from the area stand who stayed with the party in difficult times.

The induction of political bigwigs from other parties in Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf is a healthy sign showing the growing popularity of the people in its manifesto and policies, and above all the truth and sincerity depicting from each and every word Imran Khan utters, but the joining of people with tainted reputation in the party would also casting bad aspersion on the party, especially when they were given preference on the genuine party workers and leaders.

A senior party leader admitted the unrest and anxiety exist in the party’s ranks and files and said that they were actually not prepared for it as after the success of Lahore rally there was a flood of people including big names who have defected from mainstream political parties and joined them, but made it clear that things would normalize soon as a scrutiny committee under the headed by Justice(retd) Wajiuddin Ahmad was in place to shift right from wrong.

He further informed that they were working out a plan under which in urban centers they would give 70 per cent tickets to party workers and leaders who stood by the party in difficult times while only 30 per cent tickets would be given to the new entrants and that too on merit as no one with tainted character would be given party ticket.

However, the dynamics of politics in rural areas is quite different and they would go for elect-able candidates, as the politics in rural set-up would normally be cast and clan driven.

Further elaborating his point, he informed that in urban centers some 50 per cent tickets would be given to old party loyalists while 20 per cent tickets would be doled-out to the youth belonging to Insaf Student Federation and only 30 per cent tickets would be dished out to the new entrants.

But the ground reality speaks otherwise as right now the ‘paratroopers’ are seen in complete command of the situation and imperiling the fate and future of the party, which mainly hinges on the support of ‘emotional youth’ which has pinned great expectations with Imran Khan. So in case of their disappointment the youth would drift away from him with the same speed and pace with which they have rallied round him in Lahore rally and turned it into a tsunami. PTI tsunamiwould wipe away the “big crocodiles” but peoples are asking a valid question about the crocodiles boarding in the vessel of PTI.

The quote by some unknown depicts well the present situation confronting PTI and its Chairman. “Life is like a party. You invite a lot of people; some go, some join you, some laugh with you, some didn’t come. But in the end, after the fun, there would be a few who would clean up the mess with you. And most of the time, those were the uninvited or tested ones.” Soon the candidates will be in place and people would have an opportunity to choose and vote.